Shutter response is good at both wide angle and telephoto, at 0.46s and 0.40s respectively. "Prefocusing" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure results in a lag time of 0.076 second, which is fair.

Cycle Time (shot to shot)

Single Shot mode
Large Fine JPEG

2.57 seconds

Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.

Early shutter
penalty?

No

Some cameras don't snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.

Continuous modeLarge Fine JPEG

1.04 seconds (0.97 frames per second)>20 frames
0.5 second to clear

Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.

Shot-to-shot cycle times are sluggish, at about 2.57 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, though the camera appears to capture frames continuously at this rate. Cycle times are also slower than average in Continuous mode, at about 0.97 frames per second. The flash takes about 3.5 seconds to recycle, which is better than average.

Overall, the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is a bit slow. Clearly not designed for action photography, the PowerShot SX200 IS should still handle most average photography situations well, with about average shutter lag times. However, you'll be waiting a little between shots at full resolution, so consumers needing a faster cycle time should bear that in mind.

The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS uses a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power, and ships with a charger. Although battery life is pretty good, we recommend you pick up a spare battery and keep it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings, especially if you plan to shoot a lot of video.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery), based on CIPA standard test conditions.